Experimental Research and Parameter Optimization of High-Pressure Abrasive Water Jet Machining

Machining of No. 45 steel (AISI 1045) becomes more vital due to its widespread use. In this study, machining performances of abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) of No. 45 steel, including material removal rate, notch depth, and nozzle wear rate, were obtained by experimental and computational results. The Taguchi L16 orthogonal array design was used to study the influence of process parameters on machining performance. The optimal material removal rate and notch depth were achieved when abrasive particle size, operating pressure, and abrasive feed rate were 80 #, 400 MPa, and 840 g/min, respectively. The optimal nozzle wear rate was achieved when abrasive particle size, operating pressure, and abrasive feed rate were 80 #, 400 MPa, and 260 g/min, respectively. When the abrasive particle size is 80 # (namely the mesh number is 80), the particle diameter is usually between 0.18 and 0.25 mm according to the corresponding relationship between the international standard mesh number and particle diameter. Analysis of Variance was conducted to evaluate the statistical significance of the experimental results. Using regression analysis, an empirical model was developed to predict the response values of the AWJM process. Multi-response optimization was then carried out using the Decision Engineering Analysis and Resolution method. The optimal parameter solution for a higher material removal rate, a bigger notch depth, and a smaller nozzle wear rate was achieved when abrasive particle size, operating pressure, and abrasive feed rate were 120 #, 400 MPa, and 870 g/min, respectively.